NEW YORK -- Trey Burke was first introduced to Joe Dumars during the early stages of his career at Michigan.

Prior to Burke's freshman year with the Wolverines, he played alongside Dumars' son, Jordan, a member of the Michigan basketball team up until the start of the 2011-12 season -- when a series of injuries forced the younger Dumars to leave the program.

Though their stay on the roster together was short, the two became close -- and Burke became familiar with Joe Dumars, the current Detroit Pistons' president of basketball operations.

So, when Burke made a visit to Auburn Hills last week to meet with the Pistons on the eve of Thursday's NBA draft -- his comfort level was extremely high.

"It was a great meeting," Burke said of his talk with Detroit -- who holds the eighth pick in Thursday's NBA draft. "Me already having conversations with Joe and having a distant relationship with him through his son, I was definitely more comfortable going into their offices and talking with them.

"I think when I left, (the entire Pistons organization) had a sense of who I was off the court."

Burke did not go through a formal workout with Detroit, saying the team told him they'd already seen him play in person plenty over his past two years at Michigan.

But his meeting with the Pistons' staff and front office, and the team's serious interest level in potentially drafting him, has Burke excited.

He says he'd be happy anywhere in the NBA, but getting a chance to play near Ann Arbor -- and relatively close to his hometown of Columbus, Ohio -- would be a thrill.

"I think it'd definitely be an advantage (to play with the Pistons)," said Burke, who will be in the green room Thursday at Brooklyn's Barclays Center. "After playing at Michigan, I'm sure I'd gain a lot more fans if I played in Detroit. I think it'd be an advantage and, obviously, I'm familiar with the whole state of Michigan now.

"I'd be looking forward to going to the Pistons, if I'm still available."

Burke says he still has no idea where he'll end up Thursday, as he's hearing anywhere from No. 2 to No. 8.

He's had workouts with the Orlando Magic (No. 2 overall), the Phoenix Suns (No. 5), the New Orleans Pelicans (No. 6) and the Sacramento Kings (No. 7) -- all teams in need of a point guard.

He's also had plenty of point guard competition of late from both former Syracuse star Michael Carter-Williams and Lehigh standout C.J. McCollum.

There's a chance Burke will be gone by the time Detroit gets its turn on the clock Thursday night.

But there's a chance he might still be available, too.

Right now, he's excited either way.

"Joe, obviously already knew me, but everyone else (in the organization) just wanted to get a chance to find out who I was," Burke said. "We talked about my whole life, how I got involved in playing basketball and the whole Michigan experience and what I think I could bring to the team and what I need to work on.